Hamas refused to allow the aid equipment that was captured by the Israel Defense Forces aboard the flotilla ships earlier this week to enter the Gaza Strip.
Workers at the Ashdod port unloaded cargo from three of the ships and loaded it into dozens of trucks this week. The trucks then departed for Gaza.
“We refuse to receive the humanitarian aid until all those who were detained aboard the ships are released,” Ahmed Kurd, minister for social welfare in the Hamas government said June 2. “We also insist that the equipment be delivered in its entirety.”
The cargo was scattered throughout each ship and not packed up in an organized fashion, Ynetnews.com reported. X-rays and dogs inspected the goods, which included food and toys.
Kurd said Israel’s decision to allow a number of wheelchairs to be delivered to the Gaza Strip was a “deception,” claiming that the batteries that operate them had been removed, making them useless. — jpost.com